Lucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law.
Five years … law.
Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.
The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever.
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Lucas and Gabriel’s story was a second Chance friendship that turned into love. They met online as teenagers and circumstances beyond their control lost touch. When they meet again five years later their chemistry that was only online exploded in real life. They were young twenty-two year olds trying to navigate some very difficult situations while finding love in each other at the same time. It was a beautiful story about love and hope and second chances.
I have no idea why Touch the Sky sat in my iPad for so long. All I know is I’m so glad my pointer finger decided to to open it up.
Gabriel and Lucas stole my heart from the minute I started reading. They were friends from when they were in their teens who’ve never met in person—only through years of email. I can’t express how the closeness, the trust, and intimacy of their friendship throughout all their letters helped each other navigate through so many serious issues such as an abusive parent, bi-polar disorder, coming out, alcoholism—sharing their hopes and dreams until the day would come where they’d finally be together. I can’t stress enough how they were each other’s lifeline.
Unfortunately, unforeseen things happened and they lost contact with one another. Gabe stopped emailing Lucas. Done. Not another word.
I guess five long years apart made them who they are as the story fast forwards to present day.
Call it fate, because the day Gabriel walks into a bar with some co-workers, and Lucas is the bartender, their whole world spins off its axis. Honestly, this is where the story begins.
After the initial shock, one can only imagine the resentment, hurt, and anger that Lucas must have felt after being abruptly abandoned by his best friend.
But something else happens. They become each other’s lifeline again. One thing we all know about life is that as the years go by, the experiences, good and bad, teach us something; hopefully, we take them and use them to make us better.
Individually, Lucas and Gabriel are amazing people. Lucas has always wanted to build skyscrapers. Gabriel, fly planes. But together, they are breathtaking. The support and unconditional love they have for one another, especially when some pretty big obstacles step in their path, is unfaltering.
“That’s my heart right there,” I say, closing each of his fingers into a fist. His eyes snap open and he looks down at his hand. “I give it to you freely. You’re the only one who’s ever had it anyway. If you still want to be in my life, then I’ll see you in a few weeks.” Please want me. Please still want me.
They literally have stolen my breath. The words spoken, the simple and loving gestures, their desire for one another, and the hope for a future together is all conveyed in such a beautifully touching and heartfelt manner. I can’t recommend this book enough. Five shining stars …
Such a beautiful story. I’ve been really drawn to broken protagonists lately, and in this book, there are two…
Luke and Gabe met in an online chat room years ago and because intensely close, planning to move to West Hollywood after they turn 18… they plan to come out to their parents at the same time, but suddenly Gabe is gone. He ghosts Luke, who is devastated, getting into trouble in rebellion.
Five years later, both men are living in West Hollywood, and by chance, meet in Luke’s place of work. Lucas is full of hate towards Gabriel for bailing on him but Gabe has his reasons. His life over the last five years was filled with trying to cope with a mental illness. But Luke’s life wasn’t a cake walk either…
This story is about what happens when they reconnect. Can they make up for lost time or are their past demons too much for the couple to handle?
These two souls were beautifully written. I loved Lucas, but fell completely in love with Gabriel. Fly me to the moon
I’m a sucker for the old friends finding each other trope and this one did not disappoint. I loved Lucas and Gabriel finding each other again and working to fight their own issues so they can be stronger together.
The characters are well written and made a compelling story. This is a heartwarming and educational romance. Both of the men have tragic childhoods, but were friends on the internet. Then, they unexpectedly lose touch. They meet again as troubled adults with lots of baggage. They want to help each other fulfill their secret wishes and get the careers they talked about as kids.